Kadokawa has released today in Blu-ray Genma Taisen (幻魔大戦) , the animation film directed by Rintaro (りんたろう), originally released theatrically in Japan on march 12, 1983. This film was the first collaboration of Katsuhiro Otomo in an animation project in which he worked as character designer. The first printing comes with a exclusive film bookmark.

The book "The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga" by Hellen McCarthy collects the life and work of the famous manga artist Osamu Tezuka (手塚治虫). This book includes a 45 minute documentary by NHK never before published outside Japan.

Helen McCarthy is the author of eight books about Japanese animation and comics, including the first book in the English language devoted to anime: Anime! A Beginners Guide To Japanese Animation (1993). She is also the curator of the Osamu Tezuka Film Festival at London’s Barbican Centre.

It is important to understand that Osamu Tezuka is not the founder of Japanese animation.There were animators in Japan before him, as well as those working at the same time. Tezuka's work, however, revolutionized the industry by transferring recognized cinematic forms of expression from the silver screen to both his manga and his anime in order to make his stories more appealing to his (initially young) audience. In Tezuka's anime especially, camera conceits such as close-ups, pan/tilt, and so forth contributed to the creation of a realistic feel to his animated features, though initially they caused all sorts of production problems. He also played with varied lighting to enhance mood. By Tezuka's time, manga and anime had ceased to be the throwaway items they had been before the war, and it is Tezuka's greatest success that he recognized the need to inject wider perspectives and social awareness into his work. This was important after the war, when Disney animation was contributing to the anti -Japanization of Japanese popular culture, and U.S. -supported reconstruction dominated Japan. Today, much of the manga and anime business stands far removed from the fragile system into which Tezuka breathed life, and from some perspectives, imagination seems to have largely given over to the sort of routine against which Tezuka railed. However, there still remain strands of the Master's imagination woven throughout the islands of Japan, and I have faith that even today many of his professional descendents remain true to the standards by which he built an industry. It is no exaggeration to say that it is largely due to the genius of Tezuka, in those formative years of the country's reconstruction, that Japanese animation and manga have developed into a form largely without comparison in the world. Influenced by the innovations of Disney but guided by his own emotional compass, Tezuka did not demand absolute rigidity of his staff, but he allowed them to explore their own creative processes and unique styles. These were animators who would later go on to create an entire industry, impassioned by their beloved teacher.

Katsuhiro otomo has designed the characters for a upcoming game unveiled today in San Diego Comi-Con called YOROINU (鎧犬) or Armoredogs. The illustrations are collected in the pages 80 to 81 of the art book KABA 2.

Here the introduction from the official website

It wa the time of gekokujo (wich means the lower rules the higher or the low overcomes the high)... The regime had collapsed, and has intrigued provincial feudal lords throughout the country to fight in wars to become the next ruler of the nation.That's right. This is the beginning of the Sengoku period, the Age of Civil Wars.BUT, that is just a story about humans.Not many people know that dogs ALSO had the same ambition and wars just like humans…“Respect bravery”“Resist pride”“Be honorable”The true soul of a samurai dwells within his armor.They are the “Yoroinu” – the armoredogs.They battled under their flag to unite the world.Fight your opponents!The age of rival warlords has come!

Of course, you can get snacks as a reward!!

With the original “Yoroinu” illustration drawn by Mr. Otomo, the producer suggested that he'd like to reinvent the characters to bring cute and fancy heroes to the world!The producer is an Ossan, which means middle aged man in Japanese slang. As a matter of fact, world famous Mr. Otomo is also a full-grown Ossan.

In 2007, these Ossan men got together to start this project,Yoroinu is a word that combined Japanese words of “Yoroi” (Armor) and Inu (Dog). An Ossan humor is used here for the character’s name!Ossan men have been known to create cute and irresistible characters. In 2009, we are finally able to introduce them to you.Don't miss these lovely Yoroinu characters.

This is the continuation of KIKINOSUKE GOMEN (危機之介御免), a Katsuhiro Otomo original story, written by Yoshihiko Tomizawa (富沢義彦) and illustrated by Hiroyuki Kaidō (海童博行) . KIKINOSUKE GOMEN 〜 GIYAMAN NO SHO 〜 (危機之介御免 〜ギヤマンの書〜) was serialized in Dengeki Maoh (電撃黒マ王) magazine from 2008-III-21 to 2009-XII-17. This fisrt book collects the first four episodes.

Bandai Visual has released the first volume of FREEDOM in UMD disc format for the Sony PlayStation Portable. The discs collects the first three episodes of the Original Video Animation (OVA) series directed by Shuhei Morita (森田 修平) that was developed together with NISSIN to promote their CUP NOODLES. The serie consist in seven 25 minute episodes that were originally released from 2006 to 2008. Katsuhiro Otomo was involved as the character and mechanical designer.

Bandai Visual has released the second and last volume of FREEDOM in UMD disc format for the Sony PlayStation Portable. The discs collects the episodes 5, 6 and 7 of the Original Video Animation (OVA) series directed by Shuhei Morita (森田 修平) that was developed together with NISSIN to promote their CUP NOODLES. The serie consist in seven 25 minute episodes that were originally released from 2006 to 2008. Katsuhiro Otomo was involved as the character and mechanical designer.

Today it was released in Japan the single DVD edition of SHUFFLE (シャッフル) the 16mm short live action film written and directed by Sohgo Ishii (石井岳龍) based on the short story RUN by Katsuhiro Otomo that was published in GORO magazine in 1979-VI-14 and collected in the book Katsuhiro Otomo's Anthology 2.

MUSHISHI (蟲師), the live action film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo in 2007, was released today in Blu-ray. Mushishi is based on a manga with the same name by Yuki Urushibara (漆原 友紀) that was published in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine from 1999 to August 2008.

ChronOtomo

Welcome to ChronOtomo:Katsuhiro Otomo Chronology

Katsuhiro Otomo (大友克洋) tribute page that highlights his works and publications chronologically. Born on April 14, 1954 in Miyagi, Japan, Katsuhiro Otomo made his debut as a manga artist in 1973 with Jūsei and for over almost half a century to this day, he has created thousands of manga pages, illustrated essays, and illustrations. He has also directed worldwide renown animated and live action films. More about this page here >>